HackerApt is an Apache web application designed to display on a RaspberryPi3-cobbled hardware setup.
HackerApt contains two projects.
/html/index.htmldisplays (best with Raspbian Chromium) current weather and WMATA train/bus info.- Future updates might include news/other interesting junk.
Run src/WmataStaticData/Program.cs to create local JSON data of less-changing objects, (such as WMATA station and bus-stop info), to reduce daily API calls.
Output files generated:
/html/api/wmata/
static_stationinfo.json
static_busstopinfo.json
static_busrouteinfo.json
TODO: set up a cron job to auto-run static data every month or so.
- Monitor with HDMI input (preferably an IPS panel!)
- Short HDMI cable (1 foot is ideal) (Amazon)
- Raspberry Pi computer (plus wifi dongle, if using the Pi version 1 or 2) (Amazon, with Micro USB charger)
- 8GB+ SD/Micro SD card (Amazon)
- Power Extension Cord (Amazon)
- Photo Frame Wire (Amazon)
This website uses several free third-party APIs (personal developer key required) for current data, through synchronous AJAX requests.
- Default Tier request rate limited to 10 calls/second and 50,000 calls per day.
- Bus Route and Stop Methods
- Incidents
- Misc Methods
- Rail Station Information
- Real-Time Bus Predictions
- Real-Time Rail Predictions
- Train Positions
- First 1000 requests/day are free
- Every API request beyond that costs $0.0001
- Current weather conditions
- Minute-by-minute forecasts out to one hour
- Hour-by-hour and day-by-day forecasts out to seven days
- Hour-by-hour and day-by-day observations going back decades
- Included in
/html/svg
- Included in
/html/webfonts
sudo apt-get update
- Downloads OS package lists from the repositories for information on the newest versions of packages and their dependencies
sudo apt-get upgrade
- Install the newest versions of all packages currently installed on the system from the sources enumerated
sudo raspi-config
- Boot to Desktop logged in as pi
- Set timezone
sudo apt-get install xscreensaver
sudo apt-get install unclutter
sudo apt-get install -y rpi-chromium-mods
sudo apt-get install apache2 -y
Create /home/pi/install_nodejs.sh:
echo -e "\n--- Installing NodeJS & NPM ---\n"
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/creationix/nvm/v0.33.8/install.sh | bash > /dev/null 2>&1
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" # This loads nvm
source ~/.bashrc > /dev/null 2>&1
nvm install node
nvm alias default node
nvm ls
Then,
sudo chmod 777 install_nodejs.sh
sudo install_nodejs.sh
HackerApt uses the CORS-ANYWHERE NodeJS proxy server to allow cross-origin API requests on Raspbian Chromium.
- Install NodeJS/NPM packages above first, then install CORS-ANYWHERE:
cd /home/pi
npm install cors-anywhere
To RUN CORS-ANYWHERE once:
node /home/pi/node_modules/cors-anywhere/server.js
To start CORS-ANYWHERE server at boot, edit this file:
sudo nano /etc/rc.local
Add these lines:
# Start CORS-ANYWHERE Server
node /home/pi/node_modules/cors-anywhere/server.js < /dev/null &>> /home/pi/node_modules/cors-anywhere/log &
Create an api_keys.txt file in /html/settings.
WMATA KEY: {your WMATA developer key}
DARKSKY KEY: {your DARKSKY developer key}
USEPROXY: yes
Set USEPROXY to yes if you see "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" errors in your application. This will enable CORS-ANYWHERE proxying to allow cross-origin client-side requests. Ensure that CORS-ANYWHERE server is running on your RaspberryPi.
Lines preceded with # are considered comments and ignored.
#
# Add bus stops by number here, one per line, in order of desired display.
# -------------------------------------------------------------------
# -- 16th St. NW + Irving St. NW (Southbound)
1002872
# -- 14th St. NW + Irving St. NW (Southbound)
1003087
# -- 16th St. NW + M St. NW (Northbound)
#1001325
# -- 14th St. NW + N St. NW (Northbound)
#1001362
Lines preceded with # are considered comments and ignored.
#
# Add train stations here, one per line, in order of desired display.
# - Can use partial name, for example, "Gallery Pl" instead of
# official, "Gallery Pl-Chinatown"
# -------------------------------------------------------------------
Columbia Heights
Farragut North
#L'Enfant
#Farragut West
sudo nano /boot/config.txt
# Display orientation. Landscape = 0, Portrait = 1
display_rotate=1
# Use 24 bit colors
framebuffer_depth=24
# You'll want to check and make sure that disable_overscan=1 is commented out.
# If black pixels border your desktop image, modify these values until the picture fits your monitor perfectly.
overscan_left=-32
overscan_right=-32
overscan_top=-32
overscan_bottom=-32
sudo nano ~/.config/lxsession/LXDE-pi/autostart
@lxpanel --profile LXDE-pi
@pcmanfm --desktop --profile LXDE-pi
# Disable Screensaver
@xset s off # don't activate screensaver
@xset -dpms # disable DPMS (Energy Star) features.
@xset s noblank # don't blank the video device
#@xscreensaver -no-splash
# Tool to move the mouse pointer to the application menu launch button
@point-rpi
# Hide mouse after a few minutes of non-movement
@unclutter -display :0 -noevents -grab &
#@unclutter -idle 0
# Start HackerApt
@chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-session-crashed-bubble --user-data-dir --kiosk --incognito --start-maximized http://hackerapt.com/index.html
sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf
Add below [Seat:*] line:
xserver-command=X -s 0 -dpms
sudo nano /home/pi/Desktop/hackerapt_fullscreen.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=HackerApt (Fullscreen)
Comment=Weather, trains, buses, and news
Icon=/home/pi/Pictures/[some picture].png
Exec=chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-session-crashed-bubble --user-data-dir --kiosk --incognito --start-maximized http://hackerapt.com/index.html
sudo nano /home/pi/Desktop/hackerapt.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=HackerApt
Comment=Weather, trains, buses, and news
Icon=/home/pi/Pictures/[some picture].png
Exec=chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-session-crashed-bubble --user-data-dir http://hackerapt.com/index.html
sudo nano /etc/rc.local
# Run HackerApt at Startup
# FULLSCREEN:
chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-session-crashed-bubble --user-data-dir --kiosk --start-maximized http://hackerapt.com/index.html
# Or MAX SCREEN:
# chromium-browser --noerrdialogs --disable-session-crashed-bubble --user-data-dir http://hackerapt.com/index.html
/home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh (Source)
#!/bin/sh
# Enable and disable HDMI output on the Raspberry Pi
# Goes in /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh
is_off ()
{
tvservice -s | grep "TV is off" >/dev/null
}
case $1 in
off)
tvservice -o
;;
on)
if is_off
then
tvservice -p
curr_vt=`fgconsole`
if [ "$curr_vt" = "1" ]
then
chvt 2
chvt 1
else
chvt 1
chvt "$curr_vt"
fi
fi
;;
status)
if is_off
then
echo off
else
echo on
fi
;;
*)
echo "Usage: $0 on|off|status" >&2
exit 2
;;
esac
exit 0
sudo crontab -e
# RULES:
# ------
# Turn HDMI On (6:00am) M-F
0 6 * * 1-5 /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh on
# Turn HDMI Off (9:00am) M-F
0 9 * * 1-5 /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh off
# Turn HDMI On (5:45pm) M-F
45 17 * * 1-5 /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh on
# Turn HDMI On (8:00am) SS
0 8 * * 6-7 /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh on
# Turn HDMI Off (11:59pm) EVERY DAY
59 23 * * * /home/pi/rpi-hdmi.sh off
Copyright (C) 2018 Steph Stubler
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.